AFTER two years away, the East Reading Festival returned to Palmer Park on Sunday, June 26.
Committee member and volunteer Matt Foster said: “It’s so nice to get it back on the road, and it feels like a holistic success.”
This year’s festival saw the launch of the Give Speech a Chance stage, which featured spoken word, poetry, and acoustic performances, organised by Dreading Slam Poetry group.
“We had lots of people from beginning to end, and had some really great feedback, and had a brilliant audience for our spoken word stage, too.”
The festival welcomed back a number of it’s returning highlights, including Tutu’s Ethiopian Table and Palmer Park Bowling Club.
It also welcomed a number of new collaborators, including the 73rd Reading Scout Group.
Mr Foster said: “The scouts were running the car park to help them raise funds for an upcoming expedition, which all went very smoothly.”The scouts were raising funds ahead of their trip to South Korea in for the World Scout Jamboree in Summer 2023.
“It was also nice to be able to welcome people like Dolphin’s Caribbean and TDP Photography on site.
“It’s great to have groups like the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue, since kids really engage with the safety aspects.”
Looking ahead to next year, Mr Foster said: “Long term, we’re looking at making the whole festival more sustainable.
“We want make sure it’s more than just clean, as always, but we want to minimise car travel and up the ante with recycling waste.
“So we’re moving towards being way more sustainable.”
More pictures in Wednesday’s print edition of Reading Today, on sale in all good newsagents
